State's Labor Department working to increase Hawai'i's primary care workforce 20% by 2020

Hawai'i lacks the number of skilled professionals needed to meet current and future healthcare demands. In order to meet the growing needs of Hawai'i's residents, the Workforce Development Council, a state agency attached to the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, is l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hawai'i journal of medicine & public health 2012-04, Vol.71 (4 Suppl 1), p.60-63
Main Authors: Yasutake, Jillian B, Caldwell, Ruth R, Powell, Anna S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advisory Committees
Government Agencies
Hawaii
Organizational Objectives
Primary Health Care - manpower
Public-Private Sector Partnerships
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Summary:Hawai'i lacks the number of skilled professionals needed to meet current and future healthcare demands. In order to meet the growing needs of Hawai'i's residents, the Workforce Development Council, a state agency attached to the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, is looking to expand the primary care workforce 20% by the year 2020. Using funds from a Healthcare Workforce Planning grant, the state formed several Healthcare Industry Skill Panels, a workforce development best practice from the State of Washington, to address the gap in healthcare services and healthcare workforce opportunities for Hawai'i residents. Over 150 stakeholders--from employers, education, the public workforce system, economic development and labor--contributed their time and expertise to identify current workforce issues and develop action-oriented strategies to close industry skill gaps. So far these Skill Panels have developed a Critical Care Nursing Course Curriculum, a Workforce Readiness Curriculum and Certification pilot project, and a group to address specific barriers that are impeding Certified Nurse Aides (CNA). Upcoming initiatives include the distribution of a comprehensive statewide healthcare workforce development plan entitled Hawai'i's Healthcare Workforce 20/20 Plan & Report: Addendum to the Comprehensive State Plan for Workforce Development 2009-2014, and the creation of HawaiiHealthCareers.org, a website to both recruit and support individuals interested in pursuing careers in the healthcare industry.
ISSN:2165-8242